THE SQUIZ
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has apologised for wearing the worst possible costume to his 21st birthday uniform-themed party nearly 2 decades ago. And when we say ‘worst possible’, it’s because if we said what it is, we’d be sent to junk, never to be seen again. You know we like to call it for what it is, so please forgive us… The 40yo Liberal leader fronted a press conference yesterday afternoon saying he was ‘fessing up following a phone call from an unnamed Cabinet colleague. Reports this morning say it was Veterans Minister David Elliott who warned him that there is a photo doing the rounds… Perrottet says he’s “deeply ashamed” of his actions, and it has caused “much anxiety” throughout his life. He also apologised to the Jewish community, holocaust survivors, veterans and their families. No photo of Perrottet in the costume has been published, and he says he doesn’t know if one even exists.

THAT’S NOT GREAT…
It’s really not. But he’s not the first and is certainly not the last… The US Holocaust Museum says that when people are found out, their explanations fall into the categories of ‘I meant no harm’ or ‘I didn’t know what it meant’. Perrottet’s response that he “just did not understand the gravity and the hurt of what that uniform means to people” is the latter… The Museum says that the burden “too often falls on Jews to explain why a photo, video, or costume is harmful or offensive”, and the focus should be on “why people don’t know more about the Holocaust and how that can change.” Yesterday, Perrottet said that because it was “something that I’ve had to carry with me for my life”, it had driven him “to do everything I could to help the Jewish community as a parliamentarian”. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies acknowledged his support and said it was “a reminder of the need to continually educate all Australians – and particularly our youth”.

WHAT WILL NSW VOTERS THINK?
Well, we don’t have long to find out… The state election will be held on 25 March, and Perrottet is seeking a rare 4th term. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the ruling partners in NSW… Perrottet came to the top job after Gladys Berejiklian quit last year because of a corruption probe that still hasn’t reported and won’t until after the election. The Nationals have had their own issues with former leader John Barilaro appointed and then dumped from a trade commissioner position in New York in a ‘jobs for the boys’ type scandal. The latest polls have Labor under leader Chris Minns ahead, but the pundits say there’s a lot to shake out as we start the year. Exciting, huh?